Absorption of Terahertz Radiation in Ge/Si(001) Heterostructures with Quantum Dots

E. S. Zhukova, B. P. Gorshunov, V. A. Yuryev, L. V. Arapkina, K. V. Chizh, V. A. Chapnin, V. P. Kalinushkin, A. S. Prokhorov, G. N. Mikhailova

Published 2011-01-18, updated 2011-02-18Version 2

The terahertz spectra of the dynamic conductivity and radiation absorption coefficient in germanium-silicon heterostructures with arrays of Ge hut clusters (quantum dots) have been measured for the first time in the frequency range of 0.3-1.2 THz at room temperature. It has been found that the effective dynamic conductivity and effective radiation absorption coefficient in the heterostructure due to the presence of germanium quantum dots in it are much larger than the respective quantities of both the bulk Ge single crystal and Ge/Si(001) without arrays of quantum dots. The possible microscopic mechanisms of the detected increase in the absorption in arrays of quantum dots have been discussed.